With its sandy beaches and views across Swansea Bay, Mumbles is a stunning part of the British coastline. It is cited as one of the best places to live in Wales by the Sunday Times.
LDA Design is part of a multi-disciplinary team appointed to address coastal erosion and long-term flood risk here. Work is underway to improve the condition of the sea wall and make the tree-lined promenade even more inviting for visitors and residents.
The team appointed by the City and County of Swansea is led by Amey Consulting and also includes coastal experts JBA Consulting. The project forms part of the Welsh Government’s Coastal Risk Management Programme.
As well as making Mumbles more resilient to climate breakdown, the project will celebrate what makes this gateway to the Gower peninsula special. The scheme seeks to maximise social and economic opportunities for the wider community by improving connections to the waterfront, at the same time preserving and enhancing this extraordinary natural and historic environment.
LDA Design is highly experienced in delivering projects that take a more holistic approach to flood defence, demonstrating how the need for new or enhanced infrastructure can also reinvigorate places for people. For example, an LDA Design scheme in Littlehampton, West Sussex, that strengthens defences along the east bank of the River Arun – taking thousands of homes and businesses out of flood risk – also serves to better connect the town to a restored waterfront. The project has increased footfall and the length of time people spend here.
Other LDA coastal projects include Southsea, East Rhyl, North Portsea, Scarborough Harbour and Aberavon. In Cardiff Bay, we created sustainable new public realm for Porth Teigr, home to BBC Wales and part of an ambitious scheme to transform Cardiff Docks into a thriving waterfront. Our approach recognises the synergy between today’s pressing drivers including climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, better health and wellbeing, improved sociability, community cohesion and social and economic equality.
Project lead Sophie Thompson comments: “We’re delighted to be working in Mumbles which is such a fantastic place to live and visit, with some of the best views and beaches the UK has to offer. This critical work will reduce flood risk and protect the headland from erosion and climate breakdown, but it also provides a huge opportunity to use flood defence as a way of further boosting the town and creating new opportunities.
“The people we’ve spoken to so far clearly love it here – and we can see why. We’re eager to find out more about what they would like to see happen. Their aspirations for the town will help us to shape our designs.”
